South Korean President Faces Impeachment Amid Martial Law Controversy – South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol might also be impeached as the parliament gears up for the voting that might remove him from power after a failed effort to proclaim martial law.
On Tuesday, Yoon proclaimed martial law for six hours, stating that his military wanted to protect the nation against ‘anti-state forces,’ but rescinded the statement after the ruling People Power Party (PPP) protested from other lawmakers.
PPP leader Han Dong-hoon demanded the suspension of Yoon for what he said was a greater danger to the country should he stay in office. Han accused Yoon of ordering political leaders’ arrests during the brief martial law period and claimed that Yoon’s organization was the Choi Choongam High School alum network, similar to the past military group called the Hanahoe group.
Calls and messages exchanged with North Korean officials and witnesses’ statements raised investigations into Yoon, ex-Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, and Interior Minister Lee Sang-min. Lee said Kim, who resigned on Wednesday, conspired with him before the martial law declaration. The “Choongam faction” is accused of participating in the declaration called by the opposition leader Lee Jae-Myung, ‘the act of insurrection.’
South Korean President Faces Impeachment Amid Martial Law Controversy– The Democratic Party officials have had a chance to call Yoon an opportunist attempting to perform a coup to increase his authority. Independently, factions remain within the PPP. Some lawmakers that opt for impeachment are in as much of a rush to remove the president to protect democratic tenets.
Haters always expect a political change that will usher in the opposition Democratic Party of South Korea after the conservative pull collapse in December 2016 after the impeachment of then-President Park Geun-hye.
The impeachment vote is due on Saturday; the opposition continues to guard the parliament against more martial law enactments. Probes into Yoon and his administration continue to intensify, putting South Korea at risk of more political instability.
